18
by omnipotent Porunga
Summary: Android 18's p.o.v. - her first meeting with the Z-Warriors to finally being accepted by them. No fluff, no mush - it's 18, right? Just an attempt to capture her reflections while waiting for her turn on the punching machine at the World Tournament.
1. Awakening

**Android 18: Only Toriyama owns us – neither did Gero, nor does this miserable writer.**

**Chapter 1 – **_**AWAKENING**_

Krillin (darling) just told Goku that we could have a child because I had initially been a human female before being turned into an Android through some 'alterations'. I was, incidentally, 18 years old when I was captured. I do not remember this, but this is what I gathered from Dr. Gero's info archive. 17 and I had read some files on us when our old 'creator' was busy performing experiments on himself (to become Android 20) and left us in charge of security, or rather, to test our proper functioning.

Speaking of 17, I haven't seen or heard or known anything about him ever since Cell … well, 'absorbed' him. 17 was my comrade-in-creation – we were modeled similarly, and awakened together. Our thought processes were also similar – quite advanced actually. Our pasts were erased from our brains – instead, chips were installed to simulate artificial Intelligence, surrogate reflexes to fire ki-blasts and enhance motor movements. Our physical conditionings were altered to a great extent too. Our skin was toughened by indestructible, yet flexible metallic infusions; parallel to our blood vessels ran equipments to enable constant attack on our enemies; and behind our pupils, in our eye sockets, were planted specialized cameras to gauge our opponent's power level. This, combined with our informative chips on the Z-Gang's fighting techniques and special abilities, made us virtually invincible.

But we had one obvious nemesis – the remote control in the hands of Dr. Gero – one false move, and he threatened to push the big red button to terminate our existence. Sure, we did not realize what big difference death would make for us, but wasting the opportunity to know life, get acquainted with the world outside did not sound appealing either. We had our golden – no platinum opportunity when Dr. Gero activated us to go out and fight whoever was chasing him.

As usual, he threatened to disable us, but we spotted that one of his hands was maimed (by Vegeta, I learnt later), and he was holding the remote with the other hand. So there was no way he could push the button. As it was, he was already battered pretty badly. We played about a bit, activated Android 16, and as the Z-Warriors entered the lab, we killed Gero after destroying his remote. Now we were FREE.

Free, but where? In a world of enemies, where even before we set a foot on, were we unwelcome? The aggressive fighter, whom our chips identified as Vegeta and an unidentified, yet similar to Vegeta youth were hell bent on killing us. We recognized the significant power levels of the Namek Piccolo, and Tien, along with his three eyes, caught our notice too. The followed our tracks and underestimated our powers. Too bad. For them that is. We beat them up – we had to, as they chose to hate us, and make enemies of us. Moreover, destruction WAS what we were programmed for, right? After beating them up to a pulp we were about to accompany 16 for fulfilling his mission. It then that I, for the first time, noticed the short, bald man, who knew how weak he was compared to us, and yet dared to stand up to us, even without the slightest chance of survival.

I don't know what snapped inside me, I felt as if things were leaking into my brain, as if through a key hole whose key was misplaced. I teasingly kissed the top of his waxen, shiny head (poor, poor Krillin)!

**A/N: I always felt that had the Androids not been attacked from the beginning, they might not have turned hostile. Their aversion to the mindless monstrosity of Cell substantiates this.**


	2. Quest For Self

**Android 18: Only Toriyama owns us – neither did Gero, nor does this miserable writer.**

**Chapter 2 – **_**QUEST FOR SELF**_

We flew on…practically because we had nothing better to do. 16 at least had a purpose – a definite goal – to kill Goku. His natural rapport with birds and squirrels made his role as an assassin rather ironic. He was an idealist, a visionary, a great lover of live in general. I and 17, on the other hand, though not killing maniacs, relished using our powers to help people enjoy the excitement of approaching death before terminating their boring lives.

Since the 'kissing Krillin' incident, I started feeling somewhat self conscious and wanted better looking, new clothes.16 and 17 played along of course. 17 was amazed how stoically 16 was handling his mission. In his real life, he must have been a poet or a philosopher.

Goku was, as expected, was not in his house. We went to the small island of 'Kame House', where Piccolo displayed laudable heroism by challenging 17 for a one on one. The fight, surprisingly, was more or less interesting as the green alien proved more or less an even match for my constructed kinsman. The inexplicable shooting of his power since our last encounter also highlighted the unexpected high levels of power in all the Z-warriors. They were strong no doubt, but their present power levels were so beyond the estimated graphs! Were Dr. Gero's calculations wrong?

Piccolo was a seasoned, rational, level headed fighter. So why was he risking everything in such a childish manner? Why were they all fighting together – as a group – against us? Were we really the villains they blamed us to be? What does it feel like, to fight together for a cause – to save a friend, to save the world?

I was shaken out of my reflections when I sensed Tien's ki. I secretly hoped their small friend would follow soon. His pitiable ki was of no consequence whatsoever but his determined face to help his near and dear ones was already etched into my mind for ever. What will it be, to be protected thus?

With a jolt, we realized that we were indeed being protected – or at least, their success at destroying us could have saved us from the fate that the evil mastermind Gero had predestined for us – we would have been saved from the shame and disgrace of being sucked up by the vile, colossal monster – Cell. We were created not for individual existence, but to the dirty work of preparing the stage for the DNA conglomerate, and then conjoin with the demon to enhance its brutality!

17 was consumed whole – the horror of that incident makes me shiver in my nightmares till date.

My persecutors turned my protectors – the Namek and the three eyed warrior gave all they had to buy me the chance to escape with 16. Injured, the massive machine was slowing me down, but I just could not abandon the only friend then. I felt their life forces fading away, and prayed to whatever power was above, to help them, to help me, and to help the whole world.

Cell ruthlessly destroyed island after island and almost got to me when Vegeta and the unknown youth came. The Saiyan beat the crap out of him. The extent of Vegeta's strength shocked me to no ends – was he playing with us earlier? Were they all deliberately trying NOT to harm us? Speaking of harm, I suddenly noticed Krillin with the only thing that could stop Cell – the remote control to deactivate me.

My analytical mind deducted that being destroyed was the best thing I could do to halt the monstrosity of the mongrel power sucker. I waited, counting my breath, eyes fixed on the button, but his finger never rose to press it. I looked at him with wonder widened eyes, and sweat dropping, he … just broke the remote.

Vegeta's foolhardiness gave Cell the chance to get to me. I hated myself for whatever my power will do to Krillin and his friends, as my world went blank …

**Thank you **Emma **for your encouragement, and **chibi dende**, I am happy you like my view of the not-so-evil Andrids.**


	3. Friends?

**Android 18: Only Toriyama owns us – neither did Gero, nor does this miserable writer.**

**Chapter 3 – **_**FRIENDS?**_

I could not muster the strength enough to shake my head and rid myself of the grogginess, as my mind hopped in and out of consciousness. Bits and pieces came back to me – how I was 'absorbed' by Cell, but I could not recall anything more.

I focused my blurry vision on the ongoing battle and made out the form of Cell swelling like a gigantic balloon, about to explode. Son Goku rushed in to aid his son Gohan and teleported Cell somewhere else. I could not see the whole arena – a pair of orange clad, small legs was planted firmly in front of me. I just sensed Krillin's sadness at the los of Goku, and realized he was standing there shielding me.

An un-Android like lump formed in my throat at the thought that the people I tried to kill had somehow managed to save me, and lost the very person they wanted to save.

Suddenly, a tremendously powerful energy beam passed nearby, and its force-field was too much for me in my weakened state. The last things I felt before fainting were the disappearance of Trunks' life force, and the reappearance of Cell's energy.

Next when I opened my eyes, I sensed myself surrounded by almost all the Z warriors and two unknown faces, at an utterly unknown place. There were green Nameks, mauve hair, a black, turbaned Popo, orange gi-s, golden balls, and of course, Krillin's shiny head. With such a riot of colours, I could form a rainbow in the sky! THE SKY! Ah – what has happened to it? I wondered, seeing the Dragon for the first time.

Goku refused to come back and gave the dumbest possible logic for doing so. Wasn't saving his life the main reason of his friends' efforts? I felt so annoyed that I forgot to be angry at Krillin for trying to impress me. Actually, I was not angry, and I knew he had no malicious intent. I was simply confused. Kindness was an alien concept to me; I felt I did not belong with his group – I was a defective being, an abomination. How could I possibly handle his pure emotions?

Then I heard his wish to get me with 17. Was the inside of his head as empty as the outside? I felt my non-existent heart almost break at that display of selflessness. I felt compelled to rush out and tell him 17 and I were siblings. His eyes shone with joy as we all dispersed from that strange place.

I went to where Dr. Gero's lab used to exist and sat in the ruins to ponder over my life. My true past – I was unaware of, my recent past – I wanted to erase off, my present was the cynosure of despondent worthlessness, and my future held no promising prospect of redemption or happiness.

Idle repentance was out of character for me. I flew about to see newly resurrected people re-adjusting to their normal courses of life and felt my guilt lessening by the day. A few months later, I suddenly ran into Yamcha in a base-ball stadium. He had just won the 'Cheerleaders' Choice Award', and was being handed the prize by a joker called Hercule Satan. Yamcha set me up on a date with Krillin.

Krillin behaved a bit funny for sure, but he kept up a tolerable conversation none the less. He told me about his life, about his friends, even that wanton woman called Marron (Moron!). I, on the other hand, had very little to tell. And whatever I had to tell, he knew already. Out of the blue, he invited me to visit his two best friends' houses.

First we went to Goku's place. Meeting ChiChi for the first time, I felt my guilt renewed. The new-born in her lap did not even get to know his father thanks to us – Dr. gero's creations. As if sensing my reflections, Gohan said it was his father's choice not to come back, and if anyone was to blame, it was him, for not destroying Cell sooner. ChiChi congratulated me for not being evil anymore.

Then we went to Capsule Corp. a cheerful lady welcomed us heartily and I learnt a new definition of 'hospitality from her. Vegeta, however, was a different story altogether. He was making scary faces at a toddler to make him run out of fright! Krillin quickly dragged me off to Bulma; I was hesitant to enter a lab – not many pleasant memories associated with Dr. Gero's. But the lavender haired fatherly scientist seemed like his radical binary!

Krillin asked his friend to remove the explosives from my body as she had done with 16, and the blue haired genius did so. Afterwards, when I felt more human than ever, Krillin knelt down before me. In his hands he held the biggest Pearl of the Ocean.

**Thank you **projectsynapse **and **chibi dende** for your encouragements. Hope you like this chapter too.**


	4. Family

**Android 18: Only Toriyama owns us – neither did Gero, nor does this miserable writer.**

**Chapter 4 – **_**FAMILY**_

Objectively, being a martial artist himself, Krillin would understand my urge to fight and he was supportive by nature. Subjectively, he was the kindest person I had ever met, and I feel lucky he considers me as an equal being. So we got married in a private ceremony with only the Z-Fighters, their respective families and pets.

ChiChi gave me a series of recipe books, Bulma removed the chip in my head and connected the nerves back to my brain – though the earlier memories had been erased, now my thinking could include imagination and not only assessment and analysis.

I realized that Krillin's friends were now our family friends. I was no longer an opponent, but a part of the team, like Tien, Vegeta and Piccolo were.

Living at the Kame house often made me wonder who was the greater pig – Oolong, or his master. After I conceived, Roshi gave us a DVD set that none but Yamcha could tolerate watching. When our daughter was born, I convinced Krillin to name her Marron – not after that wretched woman, but as a tribute to the pure emotions he had felt.

Sometimes we went to visit the Gang. At the Lookout, Mr. Popo politely guided us, the young Guardian Dende struggled to overcome his shyness, and Piccolo often indulged in a friendly spar with Krillin. Tien and ChiaoTzu tried to socialize in their ways, and I understood not to take their exclusive nature to be rudeness. Yamcha seemed always to be swarmed by girls, but somehow managed to remain single.

Krillin said he only flirted because he realized his incapacity to love anyone other than Bulma, after losing her.

Vegeta continued to call me names like 'Toaster on Legs' and 'Dishwashing Machine', but secretly relished a thorough fight with me. Trunks, Goten and Marron sometimes played together – the former always leading, the latter creating havoc by his hyperactivity, and the last remaining a spectator. It's a miracle Gohan didn't snap under the immense pressure and workload hid mother subjected him too.

Then one day Gohan came to Kame house in a ludicrous costume and told us about the upcoming World Championship. We heard the name VIDEL quite a number of times. The others were going to participate too, and I wanted to compete for the prize money. Krillin was in a lousy shape and I decided we needed to train better.

The biggest clause, however, was Goku would come back for a day to participate!

The Big Day has come at last. The competition is the main event no doubt, but today has another significance to me. Goku is the central figure of the Z-Gang even in his absence. Now that I am a part of it, his approval means a lot to me.

Everyone was lost in a mesh of individual thoughts, mainly regarding Goku. He came with his halo on head and met Goten for the first time. Then,once in the fighters' Zone, he noticed me. Krillin, as usual, blushed explaining about us. Goku's expression at hearing about our child was priceless. I wish someone had taken a snap of his face and Piccolo hadn't burnt their camera.

That joker Hercule needs to be killed. I wont mind doing the society that good myself.

Now the Punching Machine ceremony is going on to count power levels. Coincidently, my serial number here is also 18. They have called my name. Krillin is whispering to me for the seven hundred and forty seventh time to take it lightly. Have faith in me, Krillin (dear Krillin)!

**Thank you **Frankokomando **and **Mystic SaiyaGirl** for your encouragements. Don't worry, **chibi dende – **I am careful not to confuse between a professional android and an emotional human from a long ago era. **Krillin's Lover** – well the pearl is Krillin's way of expressing his feelings for 18. Remember the episode when he and Gohan found it (before Goku returned from space) and he realized him and Marron just wont work?**

**Handling this p.o.v. was quite a challenge for me, especially because of her emotionless ness and inexpressiveness. 18 is a gray character, of a darker shade, like Piccolo and the 'Prince-in-the-Shining-Spandex'; yet unique in her own right. I will consider my story successful if my readers find it ok.**


End file.
